


There's No Place I Can Be

by ConniptionCrazy



Series: Bold Damn Heroes [2]
Category: Firefly, Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Again, Dammit Jim, Gen, He had the name all picked out, That one where Jim gets what he wants, This still makes sense by itself if you didn't read the first one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-25
Updated: 2014-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-10 08:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2018223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConniptionCrazy/pseuds/ConniptionCrazy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bones' second lesson in "What Jim Wants, He Gets."</p>
<p>(Spock is an A+ student)</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's No Place I Can Be

**Author's Note:**

> WOO a second installment
> 
> Let's rumble.

The salesman was talking, and Jim simply couldn’t make himself pay attention.

“Yep! Real beauty, ain’t she?” The man was saying. “Yes _sir_. Right smart purchase, this vessel.”

Jim can’t feel the hot sun beating down on his face and shoulders or the line of sweat trickling down his back. He can’t feel the dust in his throat or smell the stench of baking metal and junkyard mess all around him.

“I’ll tell you what.” The salesman turns to him, and then back to the skyscraper of a boat he’s talking about. “You buy this ship, treat her proper, she’ll be with you for the rest of your life.”

Jim shifts, his hands going into his jacket pockets, thumbing his credit chip. He’s inclined to agree with the salesman. There she sits, gleaming and dusty and _beautiful._

“Son?”

No more Federation-Alliance. In that, that boat there, no matter how far the reach, Jim could always go farther.

“Hey, son!”

Jim feels a small smile steal across his face.

“You hear a word I been sayin’?”

Jim turns, thumbing over his shoulder.

“How much for the Firefly?”

How much for _home_?

-=-

Jim grunts, shoving at the bay doors. Bones squints at the interior of the ship, a hand shielding his eyes. Spock has folded his arms behind his back- if he’s interested, or even merely curious, he doesn’t say anything. The doors opened, Jim straightens, dusting off his hands on his coat. He licks his lips, nerves jumping in his stomach. He’s already seen the whole ship; spent hours just getting to know her. And he _loves_ her. He wants Bones and Spock to love her, too. Getting them to agree to this in the first place had been hard enough. Well, getting Bones to agree. Spock had put up the token _It’s a fruitless enterprise, Captain_ , and then shut up and agreed like usual. Spock will always follow where Jim leads.

Bones, not so much.

“Well?” He prompts when neither of them say anything.

Bones takes another look around the cargo bay as Spock steps fully inside.

“You paid money for this, Jim?” Bones asks dubiously.

Jim nods.

“On purpose?” Bones’ eyebrows raise.

Jim’s face falls a little, nerves drifting towards desperation. “Seriously, Bones. Spock. Whaddaya think?”

“Honestly, Jm, I think you got robbed.” Bones puts his hands on his hips, looking up doubtfully at the catwalks.

“Robbed? Wh- whaddaya mean?” Jim demands. “Spock, what does he mean?” He so wanted them to _like_ her.

“It’s a piece of _fei wu_.” Bones says before Spock can interject. But he’s stepping further into the ship and Jim jumps after him, hope in his throat.

“ _Fei wu?_ ” He asks, going for casual. “O- Okay. She’s not exactly a shining flagship. But she’s solid, okay? Ship like this, she’ll be with you ‘till the day you die.” He says proudly.

“‘Cause it’s a death trap.” Bones snorts, watching Spock as the other man silently inspects the banisters of the stairs leading up to the catwalks.

“That’s not-” Jim sighs in frustration. “Bones, you’re killin’ me. You haven’t even seen most of her, just- a splash of polish, some extra parts? Just look at what she _could_ be, instead of what she is.” He implores.

“What is that, Captain?” Spock pipes up for the first time.

“Freedom, is what.” Jim replies grimly.

Bones yanks him back from taking another step, holding him by the back of his coat. “I think he meant what’s _that,_ Jim.” He gestures.

Jim looks down, eyebrows raised. “Oh.” He makes a face. “Yeah, just step around that, think somethin’ must have been living in here.”

Bones steps around it, and Jim instantly forgets it, practically bouncing towards the passage that leads to the kitchen and common area.

“I’m _telling_ you guys.” He says. “We get a mechanic, get her running again, hire a good pilot- maybe a cook!” He swallows, turning to them, catching their eyes. “Live like real people.” He says, more softly. “A small crew. Room to breathe, space to be free, take jobs as they come-” These are the words he used to convince them in the first place. They can’t say no, they just can’t. “We don’t have to be under the heel of nobody ever again.” He says quietly. “No matter how far they might reach for us, we just get ourselves a little further.”

Bones breaks into a small, tentative smile. Spock’s shoulders relax. It’s as good as a yes.

“Get her running again?” Bones finally asks.

“Yeah.” Jim holds still, biting his lip.

“So not running now.”

“Not so much.” Jim grins. “But she will be.” He heads for the common area, the other two in tow. “I already know what I’m gonna call her.”

“Why do you get to pick the name?” Leonard grouses. Spock raises an eyebrow.

“Because it was my money bought her. I’m the captain. Got a name all picked out…”

**Author's Note:**

> More to come.
> 
> Oh, yeah. "Fei wu" means "garbage" or "trash". If I got the spelling wrong or anything like that, somebody please correct me. I was going off one of the fansites that has translated all the Mandarin Chinese in the series, so, could be accurate, could not be. ^^


End file.
